Bladder Smooth Muscle Cells (BSMC)

The urinary bladder is a hollow organ made up of smooth muscle cells (SMC). The relaxation and contraction of urinary bladder smooth muscle allows the bladder to store and void urine, respectively. Phenotypic modulation of bladder SMC and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase are associated with various pathological conditions, including bladder dysfunction. Studies have shown that hypoxia inhibits human bladder SMC proliferation and bladder SMC differentiation is dependent on factors released from urothelial cells. The secretory phenotype of the bladder SMC extracellular matrix can be altered by the frequency of mechanical deformation experienced by these cells. SMC proliferation is a major contributing factor to the development and progression of a variety of diseases. As a result, understanding SMC changes during the genesis and maintenance of disease is vital to the development of therapeutic approaches.